Study finds social role of religion may buffer childhood anxiety more than private faith

A new research suggests that the societal embedding of religious norms and the emphasis on interdependence can influence levels of anxiety in children and teenagers, potentially offering a protective effect against mental health issues.

A new study suggests that the social role of religion may matter for children’s anxiety as much as, or more than, private belief. Published in Developmental Science in March, the research examined whether broad cultural values such as independence or interdependence were linked to anxiety disorders among children and teenagers over three decades.

Using records from 1989 to 2022 drawn from sources including the World Values Survey, the Global Burden of Disease study, the Human Development Report and the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the authors found that stronger emphasis on independence was tied to higher anxiety rates in Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic countries. By contrast, societies that placed greater weight on religious faith and mutual dependence tended to show lower levels of anxiety disorders.

The study did not compare religious and non-religious people directly, nor did it rank specific countries against one another. Still, Brandon Vaidyanathan, a sociology professor at The Catholic University of America, said the findings fit a broader pattern in which declining religious socialisation in a society is associated with rising youth anxiety. He argued that the protective effect appears to operate less through an individual family’s beliefs than through the wider social environment.

That distinction matters because the research suggests children’s mental health may be shaped by whether religious norms remain embedded in everyday life. Vaidyanathan said the surrounding culture can provide belonging, routine, meaning and a sense of order, which sociologists have long argued can help reduce feelings of normlessness and social strain. In that view, faith protects best when it is socially plausible, not merely privately held.

The broader literature is mixed but not empty. Some studies have found that spiritual counselling can reduce anxiety in children, while others have reported lower anxious symptoms among adolescents who engage in religious practices. At the same time, reviews have noted that the relationship between religiosity and anxiety is complex and not always consistent. The new study’s authors also said the effect sizes were small, but the overall pattern pointed in the same direction: in some societies, religious norms may function as a modest buffer against childhood anxiety.